CONTROL OF HIGH SCHOOLS

Taranaki Daily News, 28 April 1931, Page 9

CONTROL OF HIGH SCHOOLS

APPOINTMENT OF HOUSEMASTER.

REPORTS FROM THE PRINCIPALS

The board of governors of the New Plymouth High Schools met last night. Present: Mr. H. R. Billing (chairman), Miss C. A. Douglas and Messrs. J. &• Connett, L. A. Nolan; G. S. Clark and G. H. Dolby. , . . With the approaching transfeience oi the headmaster’s residence to thenew boardinghouse, the board appointed Mr. C. G. Bottrill senior resident housemaster in charge of the present boardinghouse at the boys’ school. Instructions were received by the department that salaries of officers of the board be reduced, by 10 per cent. The question was raised whether the instruction referred to all the employees of the board, such as matrons, groundsmen, labourers and domestic workers. The chairman stated that the department had not made the scope of the reductions clear. The board decided that 10 per cent, deductions from teachers’ salaries, other than for board, be made, and that the question of what other 10 per cent, deductions are to be made stand over till next month, when any adjustments, i necessary, would be made. The principal of the girls’ school (Miss D. N. Allan) reported that during the ni'dnth the roll had remained stationary and the average attendance had been excellent. When Archdeacon Evans visited the school to present the prefects badges he had made a gift of the Menm Gate picture. During the month Miss Dowling, Messrs. Howell, Brodie 'and Frethey had visited the school and presented 156 life-saving badges. On April 24 poppies for Arizac Day were sold throughout the school. _ ( As would be seen from the inspectors report, very few alterations in the organisation had been suggested. The extra period in science that they recommended for 4A and 5A had been given and their suggestion that drawing be included in the professional course had been adopted. Difficulty in giving drawing to the professional class had always been the difficulty of time. The class was composed of girls to whom the outside examinations were very important, and naturally they desired to concentrate on their examination work, in which, drawing was not included. ■ The principal of the technical department (Mr. A. L. Moore) reported that 11 day boys had been entered for City and Guilds of London examination in electrical engineering, .which began during the week. The department had made a 'grant of £lO for enlarging the toolroom and supplying a trough for washing. The grant was to defray the cost of materials and thedepartment suggested that the vocational boys carry out the work. He considered, however, that-the risk of accident on ( the work was too great, and the work needed experienced men.

The numbers in the evening classes were keeping up very well generally. In the accountancy and senior examination classes the attendance was excellent. In apprentices’ classes the attendances in motor and general engineering were good, but in carpentry and joinery were still poor. The board decided to make representations to the department to have the work of enlarging the tool-room done by experienced men. The principal of the boys’ school (Mr. W. H. Moyes) reported that school work had been carried on as usu-T with the exception that four days were set aside for military drill. That took the place of the camp which it had been the school’s custom to hold every second year. That scl'-me of training was, he felt confident, preferable to the usual camp, as it necessitated much less organisation, cost nothing, and the im-provement-in the drill was just as marked. The work on the top end of me gully had progressed a further stage and had added much to the appearance of the grounds. It was now essential that the water which ran down the roadway leading to the gully should be dealt with. In order to complete the work in hand a sum of approximately £l2 would be needed. Once that work was done there should be no further expense in connection with the gully except that required fcr maintenance. The board authorised the expenditure of £l2.